Next month I’m attending the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market trade show in Salt Lake City. My boss Tim went to the winter show and said it was excellent in terms of meeting with marketing folks for just the travel products we like to cover here at PracticalTravelGear.com — from hiking shoes to camping gadgets to versatile jackets.

He also mentioned that it’s an intense show: that is, in addition to attending pre-scheduled appointments at various product booths all spread throughout a ridiculously humongous trade-show floor (we’re talking miles of walking during an 8-hour day), there are happy-hour beers to drink and late-night industry parties to attend. (Hey, somebody’s got to do it to learn about the fabulous new gear coming out in 2011.)

I wasn’t too concerned about keeping up with the hectic trade-show pace (heck, I”m a mom used to being on the go, juggling lots at once), but what the heck I was going to use to carry a) all of my purse essentials b) my laptop (because there is a media room and I’d like to be able to do some live blogging if possible) and c) all the samples and swag I’m likely to pick up along the way. I was also quite concerned about carrying around an overloaded tote, shoulder bag or backpack. Ouch, the neck and shoulders pain!

Then I remembered I had this bag in the corner of my office, awaiting review: the Ativa Mobil-IT Ultimate Rolling Overnighter. Problem solved! This durable bag has a sporty backpack look without screaming “business travel” or “techy geek” (the dress and vibe at the show is ultra-casual). Best part, it’s got a super-sturdy extended handle for pulling the bag on its wheels. Yep, I’m going to roll this puppy all over the trade-show floor for three days. (My outdoor-industry husband, who has been attending “OR” for years, assures me that many attendees pull bags of stuff/loot/gear/electronics behind them — some, even bigger than carry-on size.)

This one is plenty big for my purposes next month: at 18.5 x 13.5x 6 inches it’s meant to hold a laptop, in a separate padded compartment, enough clothes for a weekend away, and all of your electronics. The generously sized, zippered side pockets are ideal for carrying chargers (or socks and underwear), and the front organizer pocket has cute little symbols on different pouches specifying where you should put your mp3 player, phone, point-and-shoot camera and business cards. The main compartment really is huge, with interior adjustable straps you can pull tight to compress your clothes (or where I’ll be throwing anything I pick up along the way). The interior is a sassy red, which I like since the exterior is devoid of color in basic black.

I am confident that after I use this bag for my road trip to Salt Lake City, and during the event itself,  I’ll find many other uses for it on my travels, whether as a plane carry-on bag,for  more business meetings or on a weekend getaway.

Office Depot sells the roller-bag on its website and in its stores; the bag retails for $119.99.